If you’ve seen little bug-looking dots and squiggles in your eyes, you’re certainly not alone. They’re often called “floaters,” or “flying flies,” though the scientific name for them is “muscae volitantes.”

The phenomenon occurs when proteins detach in the eye and cast shadows in the retina.

These floaters and the shadows they cause are not at all dangerous. The only reason they become seen is because they move close to the retina. The brain actually filters out their presence for you. Thanks, B.

What you’re about to see is a much more in-depth explanation for these little things and what they may mean for your overall eye health.